Jonathan's Virtual Blog

SCVMM 2008 Error (2927) A Hardware Management error has occurred trying to contact server

Jonathan — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:08:20 GMT

A colleague of mine has posted a great article on one cause of these errors. Turns out there are specific refreshers that can be targeted providing WinRM and SCVMM the extra time needed to complete the job. Be sure to read the entire article carefully as there are implications with upgrading to SCVMM 2008 R2. Great article Robert!

Link:

SCVMM 2008 Error (2927) A Hardware Management error has occurred trying to contact server

Updated System Center Virtual Machine Manager Configuration Analyzer (VMMCA)

Jonathan — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:11:00 GMT

Description

The VMMCA is a diagnostic tool you can use to evaluate important configuration settings for computers that either are serving or might serve VMM roles or other VMM functions. The VMMCA scans the hardware and software configurations of the computers you specify, evaluates them against a set of predefined rules, and then provides you with error messages and warnings for any configurations that are not optimal for the VMM role or other VMM function that you have specified for the computer.

Requirements

You must install and run the VMMCA on the computer that either currently is or will become your VMM 2008 server. To review the system requirements for the VMM 2008 server, go to http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=133516.

Prerequisite: Microsoft Baseline Configuration Analyzer (MBCA)

Note: The system requirements for the MBCA indicate that only Windows Server 2003 is supported. However, the VMMCA and the MBCA have been tested and are supported on Windows Server 2008 64-bit.

Where to get it

1) Download pre-req: Microsoft Baseline Configuration Analyzer (MBCA)
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=97952

2) Download VMMCA
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=02d83950-c03d-454e-803b-96d1c1d5be24&displaylang=en

Common Usage Scenarios

The list of scenarios are not comprehensive, but will provide you with some common usage scenarios to provide you with an understanding of when to use VMMCA 2008.

Scenario 1 – I have a Windows Host that is in a not responding state. Use VMMCA 2008 to check the host for commonly known issues.

Scenario 2 – A Windows host shows a status of “Needs Attention”. Use VMMCA 2008 to check the this host for commonly known issues.

Scenario 3 – I am using SCVMM 2008 to manage a VMware environment, but I am unable to create new virtual machines on the VMware environment. Use VMMCA 2008 to evaluate the Virtual Center environment for commonly known issues.

Scenario 4 – I am using the integration between SCVMM 2008 and Operations Manager, but I am unable to see a particular VM or Host in the integrated mapping view. Use VMMCA 2008 to check the host or virtual machine for an operations manager agent.

Scenario 5 – I am using SCVMM 2008 to do P2V conversions and the job is failing. Use VMMCA 2008 to check the P2V source for commonly known issues.

Scenario 6 - I tried to create a Virtual Machine and it failed during customization and installation of virtual guest services. Use VMMCA 2008 on the Windows Host to find commonly known issues.

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Updated SCVMM 2008 and 2008 R2 MPS Reports

Jonathan — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:39:00 GMT

Overview

The SCVMM 2008 and 2008 R2 Microsoft Product Support Reports helps Support Professionals, IT Pros and System Administrators gathering critical system and logging information used in troubleshooting support issues. Built upon the success of earlier versions of SCVMM MPS Reports, this new release adds compatibility for SCVMM 2008 R2 and Windows 2008 R2 OS platform.

Where to get it

SCVMM 2008 and 2008 R2 MPS Reports are available at the Download Center URL link here http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=4e3dc013-c299-4b80-9735-64a8b9fa60c7

Data Collected

The Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) version of the MPS Reporting Tool gathers the following diagnostic data for the VMM server, the virtual machine hosts and library servers that the VMM server manages, and physical to virtual conversion (P2V) source computers:

Virtual Machine Manager traces
Virtual Machine Manager database
Windows event logs and virtual server event logs
IP address
Virtual Machine Manager setup logs
SQL Server setup logs
Registry information
Open ports information
System Information (msinfo)

Basic Instructions

INSTALLING THE MPS REPORTING TOOL
=================================
>>>To install the MPS Reporting Tool

Download the file MPSRPT_SCVMM.exe.
Copy the file to the computer on which you want to diagnose problems.
Open an elevated Command Prompt window with administrative privileges, and then run MPSRPT_SCVMM.exe., or right-click MPSRPT_SCVMM.exe, and then click "Run as Administrator".
Accept the End-User License Agreement (EULA).

By default, the MPS Reporting Tool is installed in the %SystemRoot%\MPSReports\VirtualMachineManager folder.

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SCVMM 2008 R2 Communication Issues

Jonathan — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:54:00 GMT

I’ve seen a number of customers run into networking and general communication issues following a move to Windows 2008 R2. And to manage Windows 2008 R2 you must be running SCVMM 2008 R2. Both require checking for updates.

Windows 2008 R2 – Make sure the network card drivers are up to date… all of them. If the server vendor does not have drivers updated for Windows 2008 (or R2), check the site of the actual NIC manufacturer as most built-in NICs are simply rebranded. This will solve a majority of your networking issues off the bat. Make sure you update the drivers on the VMM Server as well as the Hosts.

SCVMM 2008 R2 – Did you upgrade from SCVMM 2008 to SCVMM 2008 R2? If so, you should check each Host in the SCVMM Admin Console to determine if the agents have been updated. If not, update them now by right clicking on them and selecting ‘Update Agent.’

If you have performed the actions detailed above and are still experiencing communication issues with Hosts you can uninstall the ‘Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager Agent’ manually on the Hosts from ‘Control Panel> Programs and Features.’ After this, go back to the SCVMM Admin Console, remove the Host by right clicking on it and selecting ‘Remove Host.’ Once removed, add it back with the Admin Console by selecting ‘Add Host’ under Actions on the right side of the console. This will clear up any agent update issues.

This covers two of the most common issues seen lately. If still experiencing issues check some of the other posts on this site that address other possible reasons. Good luck, and enjoy the new product!

Free Evaluation Download!

System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 – Evaluation http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=292de23c-845c-4d08-8d65-b4b8cbc8397b&displaylang=en

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Download Virtual Machine Manager R2 Documentation

Jonathan — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:51:00 GMT

Downloadable documents are now available for VMM R2! Check them out on TechNet here: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=162764

Available documents for download

Deployment Guide
Guide to Operations Manager Integration
Security Guide
Operations Guide
Scripting Guide
Cmdlet Reference
Building PRO-Enabled Management Packs

Use the links in the following table to find documentation that you can download and print to help you deploy, operate, and maintain System Center Virtual Machine Manager VMM 2008 R2. You can also browse the product documentation online in the Technical Library.

Title	Description	Date Released or Updated	Availability
Virtual Machine Manager Deployment Guide	This guide provides information essential for the successful deployment of VMM 2008 and VMM 2008 R2. The topics in this guide provide detailed information about system requirements, installing VMM, upgrading or migrating from a previous version, and additional deployment and configuration information.	September 11, 2009	Download Read online
Virtual Machine Manager Guide to Operations Manager Integration	This guide provides information essential for the successful integration of System Center Operations Manager 2007 with Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Operations Manager 2007 R2 with System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) 2008 or VMM 2008 R2. The topics in this guide provide system and security requirements, detailed procedures for performing a successful integration, and troubleshooting for integration issues, whether you are a new VMM customer or you previously integrated Operations Manager with VMM 2008 or VMM 2008 R2 Beta. Procedures also are provided for enabling Performance and Resource Optimization (PRO) and configuring reporting in VMM. A successful Operations Manager integration is a prerequisite for both the PRO and reporting configurations.	September 11, 2009	Download Read online
Virtual Machine Manager Security Guide	This guide provides the information needed to successfully configure security for VMM 2008 and VMM 2008 R2. Topics include security basics (role-based security, ports and protocols used by VMM, and account requirements for administrative tasks); instructions for hardening the VMM server, database server, virtual machine hosts, library servers, and self-service Web servers against unauthorized access; domain and account requirements for integrating System Center Operations Manager 2007 with VMM; and security requirements for managing a VMware environment by using VMM.	September 11, 2009	Download Read online
Virtual Machine Manager Operations Guide	This guide provides information essential for the successful configuration of VMM 2008 and VMM 2008 R2. For new customers, this guide explains how to configure the required and optional features of VMM after setup. The guide also provides information about creating, managing, and migrating virtual machines; performing maintenance on virtual machines, their hosts, and the VMM server; and managing a VMware Infrastructure 3 (VI3) environment by using VMM.	September 11, 2009	Download Read online
Virtual Machine Manager Scripting Guide	This guide provides an overview of the Windows PowerShell – Virtual Machine Manager command shell and sample scripts that explain how to use Windows PowerShell scripting to manage your virtual system infrastructure.	September 11, 2009	Download Read online
Virtual Machine Manager Cmdlet Reference	As an alternative to using the VMM Administrator Console to administer your Virtual Machine Manager environment, you can use the cmdlets in the Windows PowerShell - Virtual Machine Manager command shell, which is an administrator-focused command-line shell. This guide provides the Help topics for the VMM 2008 and VMM 2008 R2 cmdlets.	September 11, 2009	Download
Building PRO-Enabled Management Packs	This document gives an overview of creating PRO-enabled management packs and walks you through the steps required to create a simple PRO-enabled management pack.	September 11, 2009	Download

Feedback on these? Please send it to: scvmfdbk@microsoft.com

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System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) 2008 R2 RTMs

Jonathan — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:13:49 GMT

Announcement straight from the source! Enjoy!

System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 has RTM’d and GA via volume licensing is set for October 1. This is great news for all and I’d like to especially thank our VMM 2008 R2 Development, Product Management, and Test teams. Lots of hard work fueled by their passion in virtualization and management has resulted in a very good software release.

A 180-day evaluation version is now available, too, on the Microsoft Download site. You can access it here.

Please experience for yourself what the 10,000+ people who have previously downloaded our ‘Release Candidate’ plus organizations such as Continental Airlines, Lionbridge Technologies, and Indiana University have seen with VMM 2008 R2!

I encourage everyone to explore the new System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 and its new features such as quick storage migration, live migration, and many others. We even offer support for vSphere 4.

To learn more on the new features and capabilities of VMM2008 R2, please try to attend our upcoming TechNet session ‘Technical Overview of System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2’. Presented by our Technical Product Manager Kenon Owens, it will be chocked full of new and cool VMM 2008 R2 items. Go here to register for this Wednesday, September 09, 2009 (10:00 AM Pacific) event.

Thanks!

Zane Adam

Senior Director, Virtualization and management

‘Unsupported Cluster Configuration’ - Virtual Networks

Jonathan — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:23:00 GMT

There are a number of reasons a Virtual Machine (VM) can fall into a status of ‘Unsupported Cluster Configuration.’ A brief list, pulled from TechNet, shows that storage, networking, and other factors can cause this status. (Source: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc967323.aspx)

The virtual machine is on a LUN that contains more than one virtual machine.
The virtual machine is using non-clustered storage.
One or more virtual network adapters on the virtual machine are not connected to a highly available virtual network.
An ISO image is attached to highly available virtual machines.
A VMware HAVM is connected to a port group that does not exist on all nodes of the host cluster.

This article deals with the third bullet, which effectively means, ‘settings are not identical on all virtual network (VN) adapters.’ Here are the TechNet instructions. Next we’ll discuss checking these automatically.

For a virtual network to be considered common by VMM and available to highly available virtual machines on a host cluster, each virtual network in the host cluster must meet the following requirements:

The virtual network name must be identical on each host in the cluster. Virtual network names are case-sensitive, so the cases of all characters must match.

The host network adapters to which the virtual network is attached on each host in the cluster must have the same location.

The virtual network must have the same tag on each host in the cluster.

After you update the virtual network configurations on all nodes, refresh the cluster to ensure that each virtual network is detected as common. Then check the Networks tab in the host cluster properties to verify that the networks have been added to it.

So, check the Network Name, Location and Tag for inconsistencies. Once you have done this for all VNs on each Host in the Host Cluster, corrected any inconsistencies and refreshed the Host Cluster, the VMs will change back to a healthy status. Verifying all of this can take some time, and is prone to human error as these settings are case sensitive and take into account spaces. Instead, why not run a PowerShell script that will report all settings for you? (Scroll to the bottom to download the script).

Here are the three settings that must be consistent on all nodes.

Here’s the PowerShell script we’re going to use.

The script is saved as ‘VMNicInfo.ps1’ in the VMM Library. This way, it can be run from within the Admin console. I’ve created a folder named ‘Scripts’ to place it in. Refresh the library to see it.

Now we run the script by right clicking on it and answering a few prompts. Enter ‘r’ to run the script if prompted. Next, enter the name of your Host Cluster and press Enter. (This script must be run from an Admin console running on the VMM Server. To run it from the Admin console on a different system change ‘localhost’ to the name of your VMM Server and surround it with quotes.)

You see in the image above that the Name and Location are the same. There is no entry for Tag on either VN, so they match as well. In the example below we add a value to Tag on one of the systems.

Now we run the script again and see that the output reflects this change. (If this does not work for you make sure you have refreshed the Host Cluster, in the red box). You will also notice that the VMs running on the Host Cluster change to a state of ‘Unsupported Cluster Configuration.’

Change the Tag back to its previous value (nothing in my case) and perform another refresh to see your VMs change back to a healthy state.

That’s it. I hope this clears up any questions or misconceptions you may have had. Below is the script. Be sure to copy this to Notepad as it will remove all formatting characters. Or, download the script here, then run from a VMM PowerShell prompt.

#####################################################################

function DisplayNicInfo($VMHostName)

{

$yy= get-VirtualNetwork -VMHost $VMHostName;

$yy | ForEach-object {write-host " Name " $_.Name;

write-host " Locations " $_.Locations;

write-host " Tag " $_.Tag;

}

#####################################################################

$clusname = read-host "Host Cluster name to check"

Write-Host ""

$VMMServer = get-vmmserver -computername localhost

$Cluster = get-vmhostcluster -name $clusname

$VMHosts = get-vmhost -vmhostcluster $Cluster

$VMHosts | ForEach-object {Write-Host "VMHost: " $_.Name;

DisplayNicInfo($_.Name);

Write-Host ""}

Big thanks to Austin, who reworked the script into a thing of beauty. Go Perf! (http://blogs.technet.com/askperf)

SCVMM 2008 R2 Release Date

Jonathan — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:36:48 GMT

Re-posted from Rakeshm’s VM Management Blog… Link here.

I just wanted to clarify (incorrect) rumors/speculation about the release date for SCVMM 2008 R2. There is a lot of built up excitement for this release and we've added many features, none more anticipated than live migration. While it is true that our competition has had this feature for some time (and has made customers pay dearly for the privilege if using it), adding it to Hyper-V opens up a brand new set of exciting and cost effective management/optimization scenarios for Windows Server nation!

We've always maintained that we will ship SCVMM 2008 R2 as soon as possible after Windows Server 2008 R2 is released and this remains the case. As you can read from the Windows Server Blog we're coming down the home stretch. Once the Windows Server release is locked, (which is now only a couple of weeks away) our test team will run through a full test pass with SCVMM 2008 R2 to ensure that we've caught any late breaking issues. We have obviously worked very closely with the Hyper-V team and already have plenty of customers in full production on Windows Server 2008 R2 + SCVMM 2008 R2 so we don't expect this to happen but as Reagan once said "trust but verify".

I don't have an exact date to communicate at this point but late summer/early fall is our target.....as always, stay tuned for more details.

Rakesh

Creating Virtual Networks on Clustered Hosts leaves some binding work to be done

Jonathan — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:52:00 GMT

If you ever happen to set up a new virtual network on a Cluster node/Host you may find that your work is not entirely done. First, the Host that you added the VN to will in fact have networking set up correctly. What may appear odd is that the other Hosts in the cluster (nodes) will also show the new virtual network name correctly, but the virtual network bindings are not set up?! What’s going on here?

Simply, the requirement that all Hosts in a Cluster have matching network names is met as it should be. The problem is that although the name of the virtual network is created on the other nodes, there are no network bindings. The reason for this is simple: VMM has no way of knowing which network is the correct one to bind to. Left unchecked, it might bind to the wrong external network, or even an iSCSI network if you have one set up, and then where would your Cluster be? Wrecked. So, following a successful virtual network creation and binding on the initial node, you must manually bind the new virtual network to the correct network on each Host. There will be an error in the initial Host job in fact prompting you to do so. With this done, your new virtual network will be up and running correctly on all nodes. I hope this helps those of you who have run across this.

…

New Features in SCVMM 2008 RC R2 Announced!

Jonathan — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:43:42 GMT

Vishwa has posted a great article on new features in VMM RC R2. This goes beyond the features you may have read previously. I’ve listed the features below. Visit the SCVMM Blog for details. Thanks Vishwa!

New SCVMM R2 RC Features in RC!

    Quick Storage Migration
    Queuing of Live Migrations
    Rapid Provisioning
    Host compatibility checks
    Support for 3rd party CFS
    Support for Veritas Volume Manager

http://blogs.technet.com/scvmm/archive/2009/05/11/scvmm-r2-rc-features.aspx

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Unable to connect to Self Service Portal (SSP)

Jonathan — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:45:00 GMT

When connecting to the SSP there may be errors such as ‘Syntax Error’ or ‘Object Unexpected.’ This may manifest as a popup with a script error, or you may simply see a small yellow warning icon in the lower left hand pane of the browser. In any event, VMs cannot be accessed through the SSP.

Resolution
This issue can be caused by javascript being incorrectly sent to the IE clients due to NIC driver settings on the webserver (the one running IIS for SSP). Disable network optimization settings on the webserver NIC to get things working again.

Settings to disable on IIS server NIC(s)

Disable ‘Large Send Offload IPv4’ per one of the articles listed below. Reboot.
If simply disabling ‘Large Send Offload IPv4’ does not work, follow the full list of instructions in Article 2.

Article 1

Network Connectivity. This article explains the many networking technologies provided by Intel cards. This article is used as it has great examples, not because Intel is affected more or less by this issue.

Article 2

Resolve Communication Issues in SCVMM – Part 1. A post of my own that explains how to disable all NIC optimizations for increased compatibility and to resolve certain network issues.

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Are All of My Servers Really Up to Date?

Jonathan — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:47:00 GMT

With a single command you can pull a list of all installed updates. Use this to compare patch levels on all systems so you can easily target those not meeting the bar.

We start with simple commands, then build on these to create robust queries with optional CSV and HTML formatting. I think of these commands, which I use on a daily basis, as basics for my Toolkit. If you don’t have a Toolkit I suggest you create one now. Place your often used tools in a folder such as ‘C:\Toolkit’ so that they are always at hand. Grab the first five items under ‘Top 10 Downloads’ from Sysinternals.com to round out your basics.

TIP: Go one step further and sign up for a Live Mesh account with your Windows Live ID. With this you can keep your Toolkit directory, and other directories, synched up across all machines you designate. The folders will be available privately online as well. Further, remote control is built-in for all Mesh enabled systems. Sweet! Clearly remote capabilities are geared more towards workstations than servers, but I use it for both.

And yeah, it’s free. Get started here.

Basic Commands

Warm up by opening an elevated command prompt on your SCVMM server (or any server for that matter). If your command window does not show ‘Administrator:’ as below, you are not running an elevated console.

> Single command to pull updates.
wmic qfe

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=963660 VMM2008R2-03 Update                        KB963660
                       NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM 2/26/2009
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=967062 VMM2008R2-03 Update                        KB967062
                       NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM 2/26/2009

You should see a torrent of information scroll through the command window. This is a list of all QFEs (Hotfixes and Updates) installed, along with a good bit of extraneous info.

> Now let's work on formatting. This is my everyday method.
wmic qfe list brief

Update KB963660 NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM 2/26/2009
Update KB967062 NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM 2/26/2009

Now some of the noise is removed and it is easier to read the list of updates.

TIP: Is KBXXXXXX installed on this system?!? I can only remember the last three digits of the update anyway… Easy to check. Just pipe your output to ‘find.’

wmic qfe list brief | find /i "660"

Update KB963660 NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM 2/26/2009

Apparently it is installed. Nice.

> This is good, but we can do better.
wmic qfe get csname,hotfixid,description

VMM2008R2-03 Update KB963660
VMM2008R2-03 Update KB967062

Now we're getting somewhere. We've selected the header for only those columns we are interested in and have returned a clean list of updates along with the system name.

This much you can keep in your head. You might want to create a batch file for items in the next section.

Advanced Queries

Now that you've waded into the deep end let's perform some real work. These are the commands to place in a batch file for your Toolkit. The steps below assume you have already created a ‘C:\Temp’ directory on your system. CSName is not required for the next two commands; it is implied.

> Create a CSV file from the output.
wmic /output:c:\temp\qfe.csv QFE GET HotFixID,Description /format:csv

The resulting CSV file lists these items, ready to be opened in Excel: Node,Description,HotFixID

> CSV files are not as interesting as HTML, so let's shift output formats.
wmic /output:c:\temp\qfe.html QFE GET HotFixID,Description /format:htable

Now you have a clean multicolored table with results, complete with column headers.

Remote Systems

The only thing left to do is perform this same work on remote machines. First a single machine, then a list of systems. Replace <remotesystem> with your remote system name. Note that we add CSName to pull the remote name.

> List remote system updates.
wmic /node:"<remotesystem>" /output:c:\temp\qfe_remote.html QFE GET CSName,HotFixID,Description /format:htable

If this did not work for you keep in mind that you must be an administrator on the remote machine, and Remote Management must be enabled.

> Finally, let's feed a list of server names and create a single HTML file. Create a file named 'serverlist.txt' with one system per line.
wmic /node:@serverlist.txt /output:c:\temp\qfe_serverlist.html QFE GET CSName,HotFixId,Description /format:htable

That's it. You should have a table similar to this.

Enjoy your new tools. Thanks for reading!

For further reference:

MSDN - WMI Command Line Tools
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa394531.aspx

Hotfix Rollup Released for SCVMM - KB961983

Jonathan — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:12:00 GMT

Released April 14, 2009, a number of Hotfixes have been rolled up into a single download. I strongly recommend this update for all SCVMM Servers. This update may require a reboot. This update replaces ‘KB959596 - Description of the System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 update to address physical to virtual (P2V) issues.' You should still install updates from KB962941. Best of luck!

Description of the hotfix rollup package for System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008: April 14th, 2009
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/961983

This update will be provided automatically by 'Microsoft Update,' or it can be manually downloaded here. If installing manually, open an elevated command prompt and execute (without the quotes): “msiexec /update vmmServer64Update.msp BOOTSTRAPPED=1”

Issues Addressed
VMware virtual machine migration
Hyper-V VMs showing “unsupported cluster configuration”
Differencing disk issues
Agent status on Cluster nodes
Replication software causing “unsupported cluster configuration"
Error 2951 with VMware Virtual Center

Summary

Install updates from KB962941 and KB961983
KB959596 is no longer necessary if KB961983 is installed.

Recommended hotfixes for System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/962941

SCVMM Tracing Made Easy!

Jonathan — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:44:00 GMT

So you’ve run into a problem with VMM. Maybe your Hosts have lost connectivity with the SCVMM Server. Or, P2V fails for a certain machine every time. If you’ve searched many TechNet blogs or forums for answers you have probably come to one conclusion: you’re going to have to run a trace to collect the required information.

How do I capture a trace? Armed with DbgView (available from Sysinternals.com) and a number of registry modifications, followed by service restarts on each involved machine, you’re ready to begin. Problem is, configuring a server for tracing is time consuming, tedious, and prone to human error. I’ve worked to alleviate your pain.

Easy? Seriously?

True. You need two files on each server you wish to run the trace on. The process is automated, requires very little input, and works. I’ll skip how it works other than to say it performs the work in Cheng’s article for you. Manual steps are below. If you would like to download a zip file with everything ready click here.

Instructions

1 – Download and save DbgView.exe from Sysinternals.

http://live.sysinternals.com/dbgview.exe

2 – Copy the text at bottom to NOTEPAD and save. (Saving to Word or otherwise will include unwanted characters). Name the saved file ‘sctrace.cmd’ making sure the actual extension is .CMD not .TXT.

3 – Place BOTH files in the same directory. (‘C:\Temp’ is good)

4 – From an ELEVATED command prompt change to the directory where the files are saved and type sctrace.cmd

Tips for Successful Tracing

Follow the instructions in the command prompt. Remember that the goal is to capture the issue while is is reproduced. If the problem is between a Host and the SCVMM Server, run this same script on both machines at the SAME TIME. We need both ends of the conversation to figure out what is going on. The script will provide an opportunity to get things kicked off on all servers then start all the traces at once.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to accommodate various environments, while at the same time keeping the length of the script to a minimum. This script may not work if you have a locked down system. This script is provided as is. That said, I would love to hear what you think of it. Corrections appreciated as well. Check back for version updates.

:: START SCRIPT COPY HERE

:: sctrace.cmd
:: v1.6

@echo off

if (%1)==(/?) goto :HELP
if (%1)==(-?) goto :HELP
if (%1)==(odsoff) goto :ODSOFF

:: Test Running Elevated
if not exist %windir%\SCVMM_TRACE\test (
mkdir %windir%\SCVMM_TRACE\test
)
If Not %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 (
echo Error: You must run this from an elevated command prompt
Goto End
)

:: Check for DbgView
if not exist dbgview.exe (
cls
echo DbgView is required to capture a trace.
echo Please download from http://live.sysinternals.com/dbgview.exe
echo and place in same directory as script.
echo.
echo.
Goto End
)

:: BIG NOTICE
cls
echo v1.6
echo.
echo YOU MUST FOLLOW 3 STEPS TO CAPTURE A TRACE
echo.
echo FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THIS SCREEN AT ALL TIMES
echo.
echo READ CAREFULLY
echo.
pause

:: Verify DbgView Settings
cls
echo.
echo STEP 1 of 3 - CONFIGURE DEBUGVIEW - STEP 1 of 3
echo.
echo - DebugView will open. Select the CAPTURE menu.
echo.
echo - Verify 'Capture Win32' and 'Capture Global Win32' are checked.
echo.
echo - Exit DebugView and return to this window.
echo.
echo.
CHOICE /C C /N /M "Press [C] to configure DbgView now."
IF errorlevel 1 dbgview.exe

:: Cleanup
rmdir %windir%\SCVMM_TRACE\test
Start taskkill /IM debugview.exe
Start taskkill /IM dbgview.exe

:Begin
:: Verify Environment
if not exist %windir%\SCVMM_TRACE\logs (
mkdir %windir%\SCVMM_TRACE\logs
)

:: Capture Exact Time to Prevent Overwrites
set hh=%time:~0,2%
if "%time:~0,1%"==" " set hh=0%hh:~1,1%
set yymmdd_hhmmss=%date:~12,2%%date:~4,2%%date:~7,2%_%hh%%time:~3,2%%time:~6,2%

:: Format and Remove Spaces
set Filepath=%windir%\SCVMM_TRACE\logs
set Filename=%Filepath%\%COMPUTERNAME%_%yymmdd_hhmmss%.log
set Filename=%filename: =%

::Enable Tracing
Reg Add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Tracing\Microsoft\Carmine" /v ODS /t REG_DWORD /d 00000001 /f
Reg Add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Tracing\Microsoft\Carmine" /v ODSFLAGS /t REG_DWORD /d 255 /f

:: Restart Services
cls
net stop vmmagent
net stop vmmservice

net start vmmagent
net start vmmservice

:: IISRESET will NOT occur unless /IIS switch is used
if (%1)==(iis) iisreset

:: Choose Systems
cls
echo.
echo STEP 2 of 3 - STAGE OTHER SERVERS - STEP 2 of 3
echo.
echo MAKE A DECISION... ONE SERVER OR MANY?
echo.
echo Start this trace on other involved systems now if needed.
echo When all systems are sitting at STEP 2 of 3 proceed below.
echo.
CHOICE /C C /N /M "Press [C] to continue when all systems ready."
IF errorlevel 1 Start Dbgview.exe /t /f /l %Filename%

:: All Systems GO!
:STOPDBGVIEW
cls
echo.
echo STEP 3 of 3 - TRACING NOW - STEP 3 of 3
echo.
echo Trace is capturing all activity on this system now.
echo Make sure all systems involved show STEP 3 of 3 then...
echo REPRODUCE YOUR ISSUE NOW.
echo.
echo Press [F] to Finish on all systems AFTER reproducing issue
echo.
CHOICE /C F /N
IF errorlevel 1 (
Start taskkill /IM debugview.exe
Start taskkill /IM dbgview.exe
cls
echo Writing out log file... Please wait
timeout /t 5
)

:: Disable Tracing
Reg Add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Tracing\Microsoft\Carmine" /v ODS /t REG_DWORD /d 00000000 /f

:: Open Explorer Showing Trace File
start %Filepath%
cls
echo DONE!
echo.
echo Provide the latest file in %FilePath% to support
echo.
echo.

Goto End

:HELP
cls
@echo Trace Options
@echo.
@echo From an elevated command prompt type Trace.cmd
@echo Options: /?, -?    This Help Menu
@echo          /odsoff   Disable tracing
@echo          /iis      Perform iisreset
@echo.
@echo.
Goto End

:ODSOFF
Reg Add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Tracing\Microsoft\Carmine /v ODS /t REG_DWORD /d 00000000 /f

:END

:: STOP SCRIPT COPY HERE

jonjor

VMM 2008 Error Codes Published on TechNet!

Jonathan — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 02:06:00 GMT

What the heck is an error 2606? Why am I getting a 1612 prompt when I try to connect to the VMM Server from the Admin Console? Now you can look these errors up and review the Recommended Action.

The error codes are divided between 'User Interface Error Messages' and 'Command-Line Interface Error Messages'. User interface messages are understandable enough... You perform a P2V and the job errors out with an error message in the Admin Console. Command-Line, or CLI messages are those that appear in a PowerShell console when running scripts or performing interactive work.

VMM 2008 Error Codes

User Interface Messages: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd548298.aspx

Command-Line Messages: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd548296.aspx

Enjoy!